Razor burn or shaving rash has got to be one of the biggest first world problems out there. If you’ve been lucky enough to avoid this horrible pain, basically the common condition which is suffered by men all over the world is a red rash that occurs on the skin after shaving. I’m going to tell you beardy bunch about some great ways to lessen and hopefully stop the dreaded post shave irritation.
Tip One – Use a sharp blade
We’ve got to start with the basics, you need a fresh, sharp blade. If you’re going to be cheap and re-use the same old poor quality blade for ages, then you’ve got nobody to blame but yourself. I personally use the Bluebeards Revenge “Cut-Throat” Shavette, which takes standard double edge razors. This means you don’t have to worry about sharpening and will always have a sharp, convenient blade.
Tip Two – Shave after a shower
If you shave after a shower your stubble will be softer, more flexible and your razor will slice through it a lot easier. This is going to drastically reduce the chance of you getting shaving rash. You don’t have to do this straight after a shower, alternatively you could use a hot flannel to soften your beard.
Tip Three – Go with the grain
You always want to shave with the grain, so on your cheeks (where the hair grows downwards) shave down, going with the direction of growth. For an even closer shave you can always go across the grain (a two pass shave), if you still aren’t satisfied, you can go against the grain (a three pass shave). Be warned though the more passes, the more chance of irritation.
Tip Four – Use a badger brush and quality shaving cream
Badger brushes don’t just look cool and make you feel like an olden day gentleman, they also help give you a close and more comfortable shave. This all happens because the badger brush pushes the shaving cream under all the individual hairs and lifts them, allowing the blade to pass across your skin closer and with greater ease. So whatever you do, don’t use some cheap supermarket foam or gel; they really wont do your lovely hairy face any good.
